Desire and Pursuit of the Roll, Part II

(In the You Tube Link: Helena Vlahos)
In this previous Sunday's belly roll series, we reviewed the Triple Axis Belly Roll broken down in the previous post, added a horizontal top lock, and also worked on quarter rolls and coin pops.

Points to remember about Quarter Rolls:

1. Lie on your back and prop up the chest with the forearms on the floor and do a few horizontal circles to find the placement for the chest and to better find your "skin folds." I suggest working with a skin fold a few inches below your rib cage.
   
2. Place one quarter flat against your skin, touching the skin fold at the base of the coin.


3. Squeeze the quarter toward the ground, using your skin fold like a pincers.


4. Squeeze the quarter until it flips over.


5. Repeat with your next skin fold (everyone has them!) until the quarter passes your navel.Repeat the whole series in reverse, rolling the quarter back up.

Points to remember about Coin Pops:

1. Lie on your back and keep the chest down this time, propping your head up with your hands.
   
2. Set the quarter about the width of one hand below your navel.


3. Pull the abdomen down toward the floor, as if drawing a bow back, hollowing all of the way up to the chest cavity.
   
4. Press the abdomen straight up. Keep trying until it flies in the air.
   
5. Note: You must draw back to push the coin up. Thrusting the abdomen forward only will only make your belly sore!

I highly recommend Deliliah of Seattle's video on belly rolls and floor work (Number 3 in her original series) for additional practice. I used this video constantly when I began dancing with the Goddess Dancing in Boston. Here is the link to her company: Visionary Dance Productions.